4evermaat

2 hours ago, JohnnyBKK said:

In the last 30 days I haven't had a single paper bill, why are you guys using paper cash exactly ?

Have you been to your local fruit market, store, or local thai restaurant lately?  The majority of them still only accept cash.  

I'm guessing in the cities there may be a slightly larger %age that have QR code to accept bank transfer/promptpay.

22 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

My advice is get hard core money and keep it at your place. I find this unimaginable so ATM's will close up due to restrictions and infections that will start to rise very rapidly from here on out for the next several weeks. Meaning this statement is a way no way. It has only just begun, to live, so many people to infect so many... ( Carpenters) my friends. I now have over 150k Thb to keep my stuff running on hand paying bills or buying essentials by paper money. Electronic money as in my banks here is also way sufficient. If the virus hits me then hopefully because we need to pay upfront I will then have enough on hand or can pay both ways. We have 6 weeks of food and 4 weeks of alcohol for me. Looking good. 

There is no incentive for the banks to shut down the internet banking.   That should continue without much interruption.    Cash shortage will affect local restaurants and such.   There are a few restaurants and stores that have QR code for PromptPay and/or bank transfer.   And the last OTOP market that occurred here many vendors had bank transfer options, which was useful.   But the majority of local vendors still only take paper currency.

But as a side note:  good job on being prepared.

10 hours ago, phuketsub said:

Interesting timing; I am listening to a public service announcement over a PA system here in Ranode (Songkhla) that is saying the same basic thing, but tailored to this community...

 

It shouldn't be all that different wherever you go in Thailand.  I do like the fact that people are still functioning.  Markets are still running. Restaurants are still open (take away food).  It's still thailand.   But just a lot more face masks.    Not sure if the beach will be deserted or not.    Great place to eat your takeaway food.

For those of you who can't read Thai, this is an announcement from the Governor of Chumphon in regards to COVID-19. In order to lower the risk of infection in Chumphon: the following places / areas will be closed until further notice:

1. Service places
2. Places that give service
3. Boxing rings and boxing schools
4. Indoor gyms, Gymnasium and indoor buildings
5. Chicken Fights Arenas
6. Snooker Clubs
7. The Cinema
8. Massage Parlors except the massage parlor at the hospitals is open
9. Fitness or martial arts
10. Internet cafes
11. Karaoke bars
12. All the Theme parks including inside the malls
13. Swimming pools
14. Restaurants and bars (Only open for take-out). Restaurants in the hotels will only serve the guests currently staying at the hotel.
15. Shopping malls except supermarkets, pharmacies, other places that are essential for living, banking and restaurants (only for take-out)
16. Waiting areas, stands nor sit down inside restaurants
17. Fresh market and swap meets (Only open for fresh, dry food to take home, animal food, medicine and other stuff that is deemed essential for living.)
18. Beauty and barber shops (except for appointment only - no customer waiting)
19. Tattoo Parlors
20. Shops related to Buddha
21. Showrooms, meeting rooms and exhibition centers
22. All schools and tutoring schools
23. Beauty clinics
24. Pet Care services that include shower, hair cuts and hotels
25. Golf courses are closed for golf competitions and club houses

This is urgent in order to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 that may cause damage to public health.

Anyone that does not follow the guidelines will be subject to prison up to one year and a fine up to 100,000 baht.

This is in effect now.

23 March 2020

Signed by the Governor of Chumphon

*Translated by Ku & Ryan Spencer,
SpeakFree Language Center

NOTE: Our translation is not an official notice, you can refer back to the official notice in the Thai Document attached below. Ryan and I did it to try to help foreigners or those who can't read Thai to have a better understanding of the announcement involve everyone who lives in Chumphon.

@Jonathan Fairfield @webfact @ubonjoe et .al. may reach out to SpeakFree directly or myself if any more assistance is needed.   Thanks to SpeakFree Language center for the Unofficial English Translation and the original Thai images is also included in that post and attached here.  I only assume that other provinces in Thailand will issue similar notices.

7 minutes ago, 2long said:

Our neighbour is in the armed forces and says it's imminent. ????

I really hope that I'm/he's wrong.

Who would actually listen to them?  Especially away from the cities?

At worst, bars, summer school, and large gatherings are all cancelled.   But regular local markets are operating as normal.   

Thai logic dictates that there is little point in panicing.   Just go about your day normally with some minor adjustments.

12 minutes ago, johnny1966 said:

Sorry. No offence meant. Just worried if we go there tomorrow won't be let back into Thailand.

The best thing to do is ask a visa run / border run company that services that area.

In retrospect, I would have moved the border run date up.   But I imagine some borders would still be available for the out-in border hops.   Because this would affect other migrant workers also who use the border hop method.

Besides, how else will Thais satisfy their gambling urges.

49 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

And meanwhile in my BKK neighborhood, the same exact kind of places are operating and open just fine...

 

And the few tourists that I see around, mostly western now, are sitting around outside at bars and restaurant-bars eating and drinking table to table, just like nothing bad was happening anywhere.

 

 

Similar in Chumphon.     but they are more like restaurants where you can get a beer also.  

Actually if it wasn't for SongKran getting cancelled or flights/news, you would hardly know about the pandemic in Thailand.

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

Source: https://thailand.prd.go.th/mobile_detail.php?cid=4&nid=9156

Is there a Thai version of the thai govt statement please?   The English is good, but need something to share with my Thai friends please.

I was eat at a restaurant and the foreigners there said all the banks at a local mall in Chumphon would not exchange foreign currency into Thai Baht.  They were instructed to go to ATM. 

So my questions are:

- Is this nation-wide or just away from tourist area? 

- Are the private money exchangers (e.g. SuperRich and "border" exchangers) still operating normally? 

- Is there any Bank of Thailand guidance on this? Or are exchangers self-quarantining against touching foreign money and/or not wanting the risk of holding non-Thai national currency. 

Edit: was also relayed a story about very recent Koh Phayam visitor who cut his trip short for same reason (no one would exchange physical EUR). 

The the article say "ask" or demand/decree?   Other countries are taking decisive measures.

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

A friend of our applied to be a Grab Driver, she was told there was a monthly fee to Grab, a fee per passenger plus a monthly fee that was required by the local police.

I don't think even Grab can cicumnavigate the hands in the trough.

 

So then if the police (gov't) are getting their cut, then why are the non-grab drivers not under their protection.

Can someone post a link to the original video of the grab driver/rider getting "confronted" by Thai media?

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

have already acquired Makro which they

also had to sell.

when did they sell their Makro stake?

13 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

 479 day overstay ? Hardly a regular tourist. 

It was 5-10 years ago.  Those kind of overstays were quite common.

On 2/3/2020 at 8:35 PM, nglodnig said:

Even then, I have to produce a utility bill IN MY NAME to prove my new address. As the house is in my wifes name (as I cannot own property in Thailand) everything is registered to her - which should make it simple to change HER address (it's a joint account). BUT, guess what - it has to be in English. 

get a postpaid mobile internet plan (which is usually assigned a phone # anyway).   Make sure the postal address is in English.   Problem solved.

32 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Yes, this is what I'm talking about.

You need to provide more details about the passport country of the traveler and recent travel history through Thailand for the previous 3 years, including all visas used on each entry and approximate length of stay for each entry. And any extensions of stay.

@BritTim is correct in that not many are willing to do this in the current climate.    And we are talking about people who have been doing Visa services for a decade or longer.    This isn't an overnight thing.  Curbing Visa Exempts and Tourist Visa abuse has been slowly ongoing for the last 6 years or so.

15 minutes ago, Helio said:

@4evermaat I not have the acer a515. I will buy or the acer a515-54g or the acer a715-74g (this one has 2 slots). So I want know 100% if the a515-54g with 1slot supports 1x32gb . You found anything over the internet?

Only some amazon.com reviews of the Samsung brand saying that it worked.   Not for the specific models listed here.  But if you check the first page of this thread, others confirmed the same within the first 5 posts:

Like I mentioned previously, the only way to know for sure is to just try it yourself.  Either order from amazon or if you are in Thailand, you must go to a shop with the desktop/laptop like MemoryToday and buy 32GB stick.    They install it and turn up the computer to make sure it is working.   But you must physically go to the store.  

The price went down since 4 months ago.  Go figure.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.   Let us know how it turns out.

PS:  here is that amazon page:  

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2666MHz-Memory-Computers-M471A4G43MB1/dp/B07N124XDS

You can see where some of the reviews and Q&A suggest that users were able to use this 32GB stick even when originally suggested 16GB was max size.   So the only way to know is to just try.

1 hour ago, Helio said:

@4evermaat but you think 1x32gb will work ? I read many sites saying that maximum os 1x 16gb

You can try.  Like I said earlier, I never ended up trying as the 16GB stick turned out to be sufficient for my needs.

You must take the trip to MemoryToday.   Or go to a chain specialty shop like Advice, JIB, BananaIT, etc that has 7 day return policy.  I would actually bring the laptop with tiny screwdriver and upgrade it right there (MemoryToday they do this for you free, but most shops it will be an extra fee to get them to do it).  Keep 100% of the packaging + receipt.

In my case, I have a panel where you can access 2.5" SATA3, RAM slot , NVMe slot in one area.  Some laptops, even newer 2018-2020 models still require you to open the entire bottom panel.

Let us know how it works out.

-----

IMO, if you are on a budget 16GB RAM + SSD/NVMe drive is much better combination than 32GB RAM + HDD.

2 hours ago, Helio said:

@4evermaat I have the same question if its supports 1 x 32gb ram . Are you 100% sure it supports ? You bought the 1 x 32gb ddr4 and it worked ? Thanks

I just kept the 16gb stick (20gb total); i avg 30% RAM usage and rarely go past 60%.....and that's with 40+ browser tabs + 10-20 other programs open. 

MemoryToday (FortuneTown, 3rd floor??) may have 32gb sodimm stick. Worth asking/ordering/take a trip.  The in-person trip may be best.  Free installation, and you wont be charged if it doesnt work.  

This happened to a couple of people in Chumphon.   There was a part of the test where you have to drive scooter slowly in a straight line without either foot touching the ground.  Maybe 50-100 meters.   So some people failed that part and had to retest.   But they eventually passed.

17 hours ago, shootrrdave said:

Ok. Just spoke to my wife and she did not have to purchase a contract when she moved to Bangkok 6 years ago. ????

Did she mention anything else about her friends or peers that may have had to pay a "commission" for their job/raise/etc?

9 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

I haven't been for years either but trying to get good information is getting more difficult on this site. As you can read, many have a whoring mentality which is what brought them here in the first place. Try to check out other sites which may get you further in gathering info.. 

Maybe this thread would give you more insights:

I hope to make it there myself over next couple of months.   Been over 9 years.